Austin news

• Homeless, low income families get low rent at new affordable housing unit

  19-04-2017 23:53 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — As affordable housing problems continue to plague Austin, some families who may have been sleeping on the streets, in shelters or struggling to make ends meet will now have a roof over their heads.
  Foundations Communities, a non-profit providing affordable homes to low-income and homeless families officially opened its newest project Wednesday. A project that’s been four years in the making.
  “To finally reach this point and have families moved in is emotion
  
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• San Marcos CISD to return to a ‘traditional’ class schedule

  19-04-2017 23:09 via kxan.com
  
  SAN MARCOS, Texas (KXAN) – San Marcos CISD will be changing the way they schedule their classes starting next school year. Board members discussed moving from a block schedule to a more traditional schedule of classes at Tuesday night’s Board of Trustees meeting.
  Starting during the 2017-2018 school year, students in middle school and high school will be going to seven periods a day rather than four periods a day.
  “In a traditional schedule, they go to their classes every singl
  
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• San Marcos CISD ditches block scheduling

  19-04-2017 23:09 via kxan.com
  
  SAN MARCOS, Texas (KXAN) – San Marcos CISD will be changing the way they schedule their classes starting next school year. Board members discussed moving from a block schedule to a more traditional schedule of classes at Tuesday night’s Board of Trustees meeting.
  Starting during the 2017-2018 school year, students in middle school and high school will be going to seven periods a day rather than four periods a day.
  “In a traditional schedule, they go to their classes every singl
  
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• Texas House OKs statewide ride hailing rules, defying Austin

  19-04-2017 22:34 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (AP) — The Texas House has voted to create statewide regulations for ride-hailing companies, potentially voiding a local Austin ordinance that caused Uber and Lyft to stop operating in the state capital.
  The bill by Chris Paddie, a Republican from Marshall, brings ride-hailing companies under Texas regulators’ control while requiring them to pay state fees.
  Opponents tried to block the bill using House procedural rules and debate stretched on for hours, but it passed Wednesday
  
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• Man wanted in aggravated robbery could be hiding in Austin

  19-04-2017 22:24 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A man accused of shooting two people during a drug deal in Leon County could be hiding in the Austin-area.
  The Lone Star Fugitive Task Force says they’re trying to find 22-year-old Cullen Shane Pate, whose last known address was in Georgetown. Authorities say they received word that Pate was in Cedar Park and Austin earlier this week. They believe he is likely staying at a motel along Interstate 35.
  Pate is wanted for an aggravated robbery that happened on April 7 in
  
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• Teacher accused of biting student with autism in Abilene

  19-04-2017 21:53 via kxan.com
  
  ABILENE, Texas (KTAB/KRBC) — An Abilene ISD teacher has been arrested and charged with injury to a child following accusations she bit a student with autism.
  The teacher, Kirsten Barnett, 25, was arrested Tuesday and then released from the Taylor County Jail after posting a $5,000 bond.
  Court documents say a teacher’s aide saw Barnett restrain the 4-year-old child in her lap after he refused to follow her commands. The documents go on to say the aide told police the child was &l
  
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• Bill O’Reilly out at Fox News, says allegations are completed unfounded

  19-04-2017 20:45 via kxan.com
  
  NEW YORK (AP/KXAN) — Bill O’Reilly has lost his job at Fox News Channel following reports that five women had been paid millions of dollars to keep quiet about harassment allegations.
  21st Century Fox issued a statement Wednesday that “after a thorough and careful review of the allegations, the company and Bill O’Reilly have agreed that Bill O’Reilly will not be returning to the Fox News Channel.
  O’Reilly, 67, released a statement Wednesday afternoon stating t
  
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• Government to issue new Green Cards next month

  19-04-2017 18:56 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — In an effort to cut down on fake Green Cards, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced they will start issuing new cards next month.
  The agency says the Permanent Resident Card (aka Green Card) and the Employment Authoritization Document (EAD) have both been redesigned. The new cards will have enhanced graphics and fraud-resistant security features including the person’s photo on both sides.
  The government agency says the new card designs will
  
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• ‘Emergency supplies’ are tax free in Texas this weekend

  19-04-2017 18:51 via kxan.com
  
  MCALLEN, Texas  (KVEO) — With hurricane season approaching, Texas Comptroller, Glen Hegar reminds Texans they can purchase certain emergency preparation supplies without any taxes.
  McAllen’s assistant city manager, Jeff Johnston, says it’s a good way to start preparing emergency kits.
  The state of Texas has a preparedness sales tax free weekend, that just happens to be this weekend.
  So it’s a perfect time for families and people that are getting ready to put a disast
  
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• Serena Williams shares pregnancy news via Snapchat

  19-04-2017 18:25 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — On the heels of her engagement to Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, tennis star Serena Williams announced to her fans that she is 20 weeks pregnant Wednesday.
  Williams, 35, posted the big news on Snapchat with a photo of her wearing a one-piece swimsuit and along with a caption “20 weeks.” Prior Snaps showed her vacationing with Ohanian, 33, in the Riviera Maya.
  According to Sports Illustrated, within a few minutes of the post, Williams deleted the post. So what
  
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• Major changes coming to how your credit score is calculated

  19-04-2017 18:21 via kxan.com
  
  NEW YORK (AP) — The math behind your credit score is getting an overhaul, with changes big enough that they might alter the behavior of both cautious spenders as well as riskier borrowers.
  Most notably for those with high scores: Abiding by the golden rule of “don’t close your credit card accounts” may now hurt your standing. On the other side, those with low scores may benefit from the removal of civil judgments, medical debts and tax liens as factors.
  Beyond determining
  
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• In death, Hernandez’s murder conviction likely to be tossed

  19-04-2017 17:27 via kxan.com
  
  BOSTON (AP) — Aaron Hernandez’s death means his murder conviction is likely to disappear.
  Under Massachusetts law, defense attorneys can seek to have convictions vacated when a defendant dies before an appeal is heard.
  Hernandez was convicted of first-degree murder in the 2013 death of Odin Lloyd.
  Authorities say Hernandez was found hanging in his Massachusetts prison cell early Wednesday and was pronounced dead at a hospital.
  Removing a conviction after the death of a high prof
  
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• Woman killed in east Austin moped crash was UT student

  19-04-2017 17:09 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The University of Texas confirmed Wednesday morning that a junior at the school was killed Monday evening in a moped crash.
  A university spokesperson said Nancy-Jane David, 21, was on her moped when she collided with a bus in the 4500 block of Manor near Lovell Drive, at 7:19 p.m. Austin police say David was traveling southbound on Manor Road when for an unknown reason she swerved and ran head-on into a bus in the northbound lanes. The driver of the bus, whic
  
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• ‘Drug-sniffing lizard’ joins Arizona police force

  19-04-2017 16:20 via kxan.com
  
  AVONDALE, AZ (WFLA/CNN) — One hard working reptile in Arizona is making a name for himself.
  This frenzy all began when the Avondale Police Department posted these photos on Facebook of the chief swearing in the department’s pet bearded dragon.
  The department jokingly said the bearded dragon was able to sniff out illicit drugs more accurately than K-9’s.
  The pictures went viral and people were wondering how a drug-sniffing lizard could do the job.
  But it turns out the whole arra
  
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• No injuries reported after 22 train cars derail in Bertram

  19-04-2017 15:31 via kxan.com
  
  BERTRAM, Texas (KXAN) — A freight train hauling empty cars on route to pickup rock in Marble Falls derailed in Bertram early Wednesday morning.
  The Watco Companies train fell off the track around 1:17 a.m. in the 700 block of Highway 29 near County Road 252 just west of Bertram when a rail broke causing the number six boxcar to come loose.
  A Watco spokesperson said the train consisted of 90 empty cars and four engines. Two engines and 22 cars came off the tracks.
  Bertram’s polic
  
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• No injuries reported after 22-car train derails in Bertram

  19-04-2017 15:31 via kxan.com
  
  BERTRAM, Texas (KXAN) — A freight train hauling empty cars on route to pickup rock in Marble Falls derailed in Bertram early Wednesday morning.
  The Union Pacific train fell off the track around 1:17 a.m. in the 700 block of Highway 29 near County Road 252 just west of Bertram when a rail broke causing the number six boxcar to come loose.
  Bertram’s police chief said the train had 22 cars and two engines. No one was injured in the derailment and only two engineers were on board wh
  
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• Grandmother gets 3 life sentences for terrorizing kids with witch alter ego

  19-04-2017 15:11 via kxan.com
  
  OKLAHOMA CITY, Oklahoma (KFOR) — 51-year-old Geneva Robinson was sentenced to three consecutive life sentences in an Oklahoma City courthouse on Tuesday after pleading guilty to multiple counts of felony child abuse.
  Robinson was arrested for child abuse in September 2014 for the abuse of her 7-year-old granddaughter.
  The grandmother reportedly used her alter ego, “Nelda the Witch,” to torment and abuse the child. Her actions include burning her granddaughter with cigarett
  
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• Adidas sorry for email saying ‘you survived’ Boston Marathon

  19-04-2017 14:30 via kxan.com
  
  BOSTON (AP) – Adidas has apologized for sending out a marketing email praising customers it said “survived” this year’s Boston Marathon.
  The subject line of the email sent Tuesday by Adidas Running read: “Congrats, you survived the Boston Marathon!”
  On social media, customers quickly reminded the company about the real survivors of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing. Three people were killed and more than 260 others were wounded when two bombs exploded near the
  
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• TxDOT wants you to slow down in construction zones

  19-04-2017 13:47 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Texas Department of Transportation is asking drivers to slow down, especially as they approach construction work zones. That is the purpose of a new campaign launching Wednesday.
  In December, MoPac construction workers witnessed a close call between one of their crews and a drunk driver. Police confirmed a drunk driver was going the wrong way up the highway. He slammed into equipment, narrowly missing the crew.
  Now, the transportation agency is launching a statewid
  
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• New ‘bathroom bill’ presented to Texas lawmakers

  19-04-2017 13:02 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — For the first time, Texas Governor Greg Abbott is making his opinion clear on one version of the so-called bathroom bill. House Bill 2899, called the ‘Texas Protection Act,’ would ban cities from adopting nondiscrimination ordinances that would apply to restrooms.
  After months of not giving a direct opinion on the so-called ‘bathroom bills,’ Governor Abbott is announcing his support for the House and Senate.
  In a statement the Governor said:
  I a
  
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• Former NFL player Aaron Hernandez hangs self in jail

  19-04-2017 12:49 via kxan.com
  
  SHIRLEY, MA (WCMH) — NBC News has confirmed with the Massachusetts Department of Corrections that early Wednesday morning Aaron Hernandez was found dead in his cell.
  According to NBC Boston, Hernandez was found hanged in his cell  at the Souza Baranowski Correctional Center and was pronounced dead at 4:07 a.m. after authorities tried to revive him.
  A release from the Massachusetts D.O.C. said Hernandez hanged himself using a bed sheet attached to his cell’s window. He also attem
  
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• Former NFL player Aaron Hernandez found dead in his prison cell

  19-04-2017 12:49 via kxan.com
  
  BOSTON, MA (WCMH) — NBC News has confirmed with the Massachusetts Department of Corrections that early this morning Aaron Hernandez was found dead in his cell.
  According to NBC Boston, Hernandez was found hanged in his cell, and was pronounced dead at 4:07am.
  A release from the Massachusetts D.O.C. said Hernandez hanged himself using a bed sheet attached to his cell’s window. He also attempted to block his door from the inside by using various items.
  On April 14, Hernandez was acquit
  
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• Overnight fire damages Bastrop restaurant

  19-04-2017 10:28 via kxan.com
  
  BASTROP (KXAN) — Bastrop fire crews closed down a block of a downtown street as they fought a fire at a restaurant early Wednesday morning.
  Crews were called to the Ramos Restaurant on Chestnut Street around 1:45 a.m. after reports of a fire. A witness told KXAN the fire was still burning as of 3:15 a.m. The witness said there were four fire engines at the scene and fire crews were cutting holes in the roof to pour water into the restaurant.
  At 2:15 a.m., the Bastrop County Office of
  
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• More than the Score: Recruiting weekend at Texas

  19-04-2017 05:48 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Following the Orange & White Spring Game, Mike Craven of the Austin American Statesman stops by More than the Score to discuss Tom Herman’s recruiting impact and where the Longhorns stand for some of the state’s top prospects.
  
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• All-clear given at south Austin Walmart after bomb threat

  19-04-2017 04:39 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — A south Austin Walmart was evacuated after a bomb threat was reported Tuesday night. A suspicious package found inside the building was determined not to be an explosive and posed no risk to the public, according to police.
  Officers were called to the store, located at 710 E. Ben White Blvd., at 8:20 p.m.
  APD’s Explosive Ordinance Division team responded to the threat. Police say someone called in the bomb threat to the Walmart. Officers did not say if they have
  
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• Lawsuit seeks $1 million against pickup driver in church bus crash

  19-04-2017 04:31 via kxan.com
  
  UVALDE COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) — The son of a victim in the church bus crash near Concan, Texas last month is suing the driver of the pickup truck for negligence.
  Ross Allen, the son of Howard Bryan Allen, one of the 13 victims from New Braunfels in the crash, is claiming damages in excess of $1 million. The lawsuit names the pickup truck driver, Jack Dillon Young, and his father — the truck’s owner — Joseph Benjamin Young, as responsible for the crash.
  The lawsuit says
  
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• Texas Senate endorses letting first responders carry guns

  19-04-2017 04:15 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — The Texas Senate has endorsed allowing paramedics and other first-responders, including volunteer firefighters, to carry concealed handguns in restricted areas.
  The bill by Sen. Don Huffines of Dallas met little resistance in the Republican-controlled Senate on Tuesday. A similar measure is pending in the House.
  Huffines says first-responders sometimes arrive on crime scenes even before police do and could be in danger if the situation is not yet contained. He says par
  
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• Several bills would give Texans more access to experimental treatments

  19-04-2017 02:37 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (NEXSTAR) — Lawmakers took up a handful of bills Tuesday that would give more Texans access to experimental treatments that could potentially save lives and improve quality of life.
  Known as the “Medical Freedom Act,” House Bill 661 would allow patients suffering from chronic illnesses access to treatments and medications that have yet to be approved by The U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
  Filed by State Rep. Tan Parker, R-Flower Mound, HB 661 would expand the state&rs
  
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• Texas State Board of Education debating how evolution should be taught

  19-04-2017 02:03 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Texas State Board of Education members met Tuesday in Austin to hear public testimony as they define curriculum standards. While the board is defining standards for all the main subject areas, much of the debate  focused on science — in particular how evolution is taught in eighth grade biology classes.
  The bulk of the testimony Tuesday centered around changes to standards 4(A) and 6(A) of the Biology TEKS (Texas Essential Knowledge and skills) in section 112
  
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• 11-year-old boy uses birthday money to buy a goat for family in Africa

  19-04-2017 02:00 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — When 11-year-old Kyler Cox was scanning through a Christmas catalog from Operation Mobilization (OM), a non-profit ministry organization, when something caught his eye. It was something he could purchase, but it wasn’t anything that would go under his Christmas tree.
  Cox saw that he could buy a goat for a family in Africa for $56. His mom says she knows her son has a big heart but she never imagined he’d give his birthday money away.
  “I just had spare mone
  
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• How Austin neighborhoods could change with new zoning maps

  19-04-2017 01:37 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Home and business construction is happening all over Austin, but how and where buildings are built over the next decade will be determined by the city’s zoning maps.
  On Tuesday, Austinites got their first look at the CodeNext maps, which are zoning changes the city is proposing. Currently, Austin is filled with either single-family homes or large apartment complexes and condos. Now the city is looking to offer up some affordable options in between.
  The Bouldin Creek n
  
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• Texas governor gives first clear support for ‘bathroom bill’

  19-04-2017 01:21 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is giving his first clear support for a “bathroom bill” that supporters say is similar to North Carolina’s recent compromise but opponents still reject as discriminatory.
  Abbott on Tuesday said he’ll work on a bill with the Republican-controlled Legislature before it adjourns in May. His significant endorsement follows months of relative silence over a state Senate measure that would require people to use public bathrooms
  
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• Vote to decide which Austin park gets $20,000 in grant money

  19-04-2017 01:14 via kxan.com
  
  AUSTIN (KXAN) — In observance of Earth month this April, Austin residents have the opportunity to vote for one of three park projects that would use a $20,000 grant for enhancements. It’s all part of a nation-wide initiative known as “Meet Me at the Park.”
  The National Recreation and Park Association teamed up with the Walt Disney Company to give back to local communities.
  One project up for vote would help refurbish the turf on the softball and baseba
  
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• Gator tussles with Texas game wardens trying to remove her from front yard

  19-04-2017 00:15 via kxan.com
  
  RICHMOND, Texas (KXAN) — Knock, knock: a 200 pound alligator — in a bad mood — is at the door.
  The 10-foot-long gator was found outside a home in Richmond wandering through the neighborhood, video from KPRC showed.
  Texas game wardens pulled her away from the door of a home, where an overturned rocking chair marked the damage left in her wake.
  It’s safe to say the alligator was flipping out as she entered what some refer to as a gator death roll, trying to detach hers
  
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• Former President George H.W. Bush back in the hospital

  19-04-2017 00:14 via kxan.com
  
  HOUSTON (KXAN) — Former President George H.W. Bush is back in the hospital after he was admitted on Friday for a mild case of pneumonia.
  The family spokesperson says Bush is currently at Houston Methodist Hospital where is he in “very good spirits.” Bush will remain at the hospital until he regains his strength.
  The spokesperson said Bush, 92, was originally taken to the hospital last week for a “persistent cough that prevented him from getting proper rest.”
  At the
  
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